Art | Activism | Augmented Reality

The National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence (NYAM) is the first non-profit project in Chicago and in the US to use a combination of art activism, commercial billboards, and Augmented Reality technology for large-scale, youth-led campaigns for social good. Our art is mobile and interactive. Each piece is developed by youth between the ages of 13 and 28 years old in response to epidemic levels of gun violence in their communities and in the country.

In observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the National Youth Art Movement launches a campaign to unify gun violence prevention efforts across communities.

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The National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence (NYAM) is launching a “Letgo Racism” campaign on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – March 21 – Now more than ever, we very much believe that we all need to work together to achieve love, respect, peace and good health within our communities and our world. Gun violence is an ongoing public health issue that impacts all of us and will take all of us, regardless of race, to cure. The sale of 100 limited-edition baseball caps with the “Letgo Racism” message will be used to fund the development and implementation of a national curriculum for gun violence prevention (GVP) for high schools. Each baseball cap incorporates artworks from one professional artist and a group of 16-27-year-olds that offers a diversity of perspectives on the issue of gun violence.

Gun violence is an everyday problem in the US that often becomes national news only in the aftermath of a mass shooting. Yet, mass shootings account for less than 1% of gun-related fatalities. Whereas, suicides have accounted for about 61% of gun-related deaths per year and homicides more than 35%. The perpetrators of mass shootings and those who choose to take their own lives by gun predominately are young, white males. While gun-related homicides (i.e. murders) have the greatest impact among young African American males, Latinos are also significantly affected. Despite the prevalence of gun violence across a diversity of communities, gun violence is often considered an unfortunate problem for African Americans. A problem frequently offered a simple solution: “Stop killing each other.”

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However, with youth of all races succumbing to this epidemic, we now understand that what is driving young people to kill themselves or each other cannot be solved simply, but will require a willingness to better understand the underlying factors that precipitate self-harm and violence and the development of measures to provide greater supports for youth.

The National Youth Art Movement is Leading a Team of Subject Matter Experts from the US & Canada to Create a High School Curriculum for Youth Personal Leadership and Gun Violence Prevention.

Click on the pictures above to get detailed information on the project and this evolving intergenerational team of students, artists, educators, social workers, academic leaders and gun violence advocates.

"Since joining NYAM I’ve been introduced to countless young artists who’ve created great works of art detailing and involving gun violence. For me, NYAM allows you access to a creative circle that focuses on the issues that I would love to make more aware to the public."

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Elexsis Miller, 22 year-old visual artist:

"In our last session of the Woke & Winning Workshops in 2018, I helped a group of DePaul students create artwork to be delivered to former Governor Bruce Rauner who had a record of vetoing gun reform policies in IL. I was incredibly moved by the image we created collectively for Gov. Rauner. We discovered through the creative process that we were all trying to say what it felt like to be ignored in the development of firearm laws. The empathy we all had the opportunity to experience that evening learning about our state representatives and creating art in response is the healing factor of NYAM. It’s how it breaks down barriers."

Liz Gomez Presents NYAM's Success Stories, B'Rael Ali Thunder Performs Poetry, and NYAM has a Featured Art Exhibit in April at Sanctuary Cafe at the University of Chicago

The National Youth Art Movement Sees Success with the passage of Senator Don Harmon's SB 337

The National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence as a member of the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention Coalition supported the bill by developing with Get Loud Now a digital campaign for political postcard activism to energize public support and encourage lawmakers to pass it into law. Members of NYAM also made calls to elected officials and city residents in phone banking efforts to further raise awareness and grow enthusiasm for the bill. As a law, SB 337 will hold gun dealers accountable for their business practices by requiring anyone who wants to sell a firearm to obtain a license. Additionally, oversight of gun dealers has broadened to the purview of the state police. Read more here.

You areINVITEDto join theWoke & Winning Youth Action Summer Workshop Series. Learn from National and Local Political Activists and transform their knowledge into visual art projects for social justice. Click the Woke & Winning logo for more info on the workshop series.

The National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence in collaboration with The Wasteshed, a creative reuse center in Humboldt Park, was awarded a generous grant from Safe & Peaceful Chicago to develop and deliver the Woke & Winning Youth Action Summer Workshop Series.

NYAM Features: Cook County Chronicle & TrueStar

The Politics of Gun Reform. Featured speaker Lauren Tucker, Director of Marketing and Community Relations for Indivisible Chicago leads off NYAM and the WasteShed's first Woke & Winning event of the summer! (Click on picture above for the news article courtesy of the Cook County Chronicle)

GET LOUD NOW & NYAM: ALL ABOUT ACTIVISM

HOW IT WORKS: With a few clicks on a phone, tablet, or laptop, Get Loud Now users take meaningful action on issues they care about by sending poignant physical postcards to elected representatives at any level of government. To populate a unique list of political representatives for each user, Get Loud Now technology matches users’ addresses with a database of local and national officials. Once a user selects a politician to contact, the address for delivery is automatically added to the postcard.

HOW IT WORKS: With a few clicks on a phone, tablet, or laptop, Get Loud Now users take meaningful action on issues they care about by sending poignant physical postcards to elected representatives at any level of government. To populate a unique list of political representatives for each user, Get Loud Now technology matches users’ addresses with a database of local and national officials. Once a user selects a politician to contact, the address for delivery is automatically added to the postcard.

NYAM is now working with youth from Chicago and beyond to create postcard designs specifically for a Get Loud Now-powered postcard writing campaign supporting the NYAM mission.

“NYAM emerging artists are young people who are deeply moved by the issue of gun violence because of its pervasiveness in their city and in their lives,” says Janice Tisha Samuels, founder and director of the National Youth Art Movement Against Gun Violence. “They think deeply about the images they create because they are seeking to leave an indelible mark on the public consciousness in order to activate empathy for gun violence survivors whose lives are radically changed and to, ultimately, promote a commitment to encouraging a real political will for gun safety and gun responsibility.”

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If you're between the ages of 12 and 25 and would like to join NYAM and/or contribute art to this campaign, take action and click on "We Will No Longer Be Bystanders."